Unredeemable
by ShardSol
Summary: Thanks for 666 views! Belladonna, the second most evil being in Hell, is cast aside by even Red himself. Now she must start a new conquest in search of something greater. What she finds is something better than the spoils of evil, but could she ever deserve it? Could she ever change her ways? Would it even matter if she's already doomed? (Warning: themes of torture.)
1. Descendance

Belladonna had never felt so nervous in a long time. It was unusual for Red to request advisers to speak with him one on one. He always had his meetings with all the other advisers present. Belladonna had always been Red's best assistant, and had been granted more privileges than any other denizen of Hell. She couldn't be punished, so long as she did Red's bidding. Red gave her a pathway to power people could only dream of. She'd be lying if she claimed to not have been even a little generous despite her insatiable greed.

Belladonna walked through the red, glowing pathway to Red's meeting room, fire blazing from cracks in the floor adjacent to the walls. She could see the broken faces of the tormented souls hanging by chains on the walls as they were burned by the flames. Some of them wouldn't even move, clearly in shock and almost in complete dissociation from the unimaginable torture. Only the worst of Hell's denizens were punished this way.

She opened the twin metal doors, pushing them open with her muzzle as she always did, and saw Red sitting in the one large throne at the end of the meeting table. He did not look happy. Nobody ever wanted to see Red unhappy, for their own sake.

"What's up?" Belladonna cocked her head back, flicking her tuft of hair.

Red leered at her for a moment. "Sit down. We need to talk."

Belladonna always sat right next to Red whilst engaging in meetings, but for some reason she felt compelled to sit on the opposite side of the table. This was unusual for her, but she couldn't help but feel far too intimidated. She took a seat, adjusting her collar nervously.

Reds glare vanished, and was replaced by a look of disappointment.

"I really don't know what I am to expect from you Belladonna," Red sighed.

"W-what do you mean," Belladonna tilted her head. "I've been your primary adviser for years. Sure I've had some slip ups, but.."

"You've had nothing but slip ups since Carface got sent here. What has gotten into you?" Red shook his head, clearly puzzled. "Do you not care anymore about our great conquest?"

"Of course I care," Belladonna protested, almost offended by Red's question. "This is the most important thing I've ever done. It's my purpose!"

"You say that.. but your consistent failures as of the last six months suggest otherwise," Red frowned. "Why should I believe that your performance won't get any worse from now on?"

"I-It's that damn Charlie and his stupid sidekick Itchy! If it weren't for them, I'd.."

"I'm tired of your excuses Belladonna!" Red began to rage, clearly dissatisfied with Belladonna's poor attempt at saving face. "I cannot put up with your failures any longer. I have made my decision."

Belladonna swallowed nervously. A part of her just wanted to cease existing all together so she wouldn't have to endure this tension any longer.

"You are relieved of your duties." Red stated, almost matter-of-factly.

Belladonna froze. The whole world around her began to collapse as she realized that the one source of power she had, the one thing she craved and lived for, was taken away from her in one fell swoop. But what worried her even more, was that she knew Red would never stop there. Red never let people get away with disappointing him. She couldn't imagine what kind of horrifying, unspeakable punishment she would be given for failing Red so badly. A massive wave of anxiety hit her like a ton of bricks. For the first time in her life, she was truly afraid. Truly at the mercy of Red.

But Red has no mercy, as everybody knew. There was no mercy in Hell, especially with Red in charge. Red only knew of wrath. Red pointed his claw towards a strange outline backwards towards the left of the metal door behind Belladonna. The violet canine, clearly shook from the situation, and unable to mutter any protest due to the shock, slowly turned her head around to the outline in the wall. She had never been made aware of this throughout all the years she had assisted Red. This was an anomaly to her.

The outline brightened, and the wall enclosed by the outline shifted down into the ground. A strange room had opened up. It was completely dark, with cobblestone walls, and what appeared to be a grey, rusty looking floor. A strange blast of heat came from inside the room. It felt like she had just stuck her face in an oven.

"W-what is.. t-that? I-I never.." Belladonna stammered.

"The worst punishment Hell has to offer," Red muttered. "You shall stay in that room, for as long as I decide. Then you will be dumped back to the shores of Hell with all the other denizens."

Belladonna made a look of confusion. She turned back to Red with a smug look on her face.

"Wait.. that's it? A timeout? In an empty room?" Belladonna resisted the urge to chuckle. "Is this a joke? Are you messing with me Red?"

Red stared back at her, smiling devilishly.

"Ah I get it, it was all a prank. I got ya, haha very funny." She laughed nervously, "Come on. Speak to me Red! You're making me nervous!"

Red still said nothing, giving the same unnerving grin.

Belladonna sighed. "Ugh, fine. Look, I'll get back to work as soon as I'm done with your 'punishment' thingy, okay?"

"Very well, now please, go inside, go inside!" Red ushered, almost reassuringly.

Belladonna honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but she had no choice. She walked up slowly to the mysterious room and stood right at the entrance. There was nothing. No torture devices, no chains, no spikes, not even a pitchfork in sight. The one thing that was off, was the strange source of heat. She couldn't figure out where it was coming from. It didn't make any sense. Something was wrong about this room, something very wrong.

She bared her teeth and took a leap of faith, jumping into the room, expecting to land on all fours. Only she did not land, she sunk. The floor was not solid, it was some sort of strange liquid. At first she didn't feel anything. But then, as soon as her senses began to kick in, it all made sense.

The floor was lava.

Belladonna let out a shrill of pain as nearly her whole body was submerged into the magma. Red laughed maniacally as the door to the room shut close. The canine could feel nothing but the intense heat searing at her flesh. She thrashed about, rolling in agony from the immense torture. She couldn't even think. All she knew of at this very moment was pain. Absolute pain. It was all around her body. The lava sunk into her mouth, her teeth and her throat, as she gagged and choked. Luckily, the lava wasn't too deep that she could be submerged entirely, but that didn't matter to her. Nothing mattered anymore. This was it. This was the ultimate pain. The ultimate punishment. There was no escape.

Even in Hell most souls are lucky enough to never experience nearly as much torture as this. This is a Hell for dogs after all. Most denizens get the occasional pitchfork to the ribs, or if very unlucky, might get captured by demons and trapped in a cage in an empty cavern, only to be tormented and mocked by both the demons and other bystanders. That is, however, up until they manage to eventually break free, since torture equipment there is generally shoddy due to a lack of essential materials and manufacturing technology. Some dogs are even selected by the angels to be given another chance at redemption, although this is rare, and very circumstantial. For somebody like Belladonna though, there was no chance at all.

* * *

Belladonna writhed in pain for what seemed like centuries, even though no more than an hour had passed. By then, word of Belladonna's firing and punishment had already made the local news in Heaven. Many dogs cheered with joy. Some were a bit disturbed by the grotesque punishment, but still glad that Belladonna had finally been given her just deserts.

Annabelle lied on a fluffy green pillow as she read the news out loud next to Charlie, Itchy and Sasha, who rested in the clouds in front of her.

"I honestly can't believe this is happening. I'm actually shaking," Annabelle exclaimed. "That 'thing' is finally getting what it deserves. I'm so happy!"

"It's about time, amirite?" Charlie smirked.

"What goes around comes around," Sasha giggled. "Seeing as she, I mean, 'it' spent decades causing nothing but pain and suffering to others, it's only fair if it all comes right back at it."

"I just wish I could have been the one to make her pay." Annabelle sulked. "She hurt me more than anybody else. I told her something like this would happen eventually, but she would never listen to me."

The three other dogs looked at Annabelle with solemn pity. They knew of Annabelle's family relationship with Belladonna, and how she struggled for decades knowing her cousin could never find it in her heart to love and appreciate her. It's almost as if she never had a heart to begin with. Annabelle was long convinced of this, and had grown to accept it over the years. Her cousin was dead to her. Her being Red's right hand adviser didn't help anything.

"I say we should celebrate!" Itchy exclaimed, jumping up and down on the cloud.

"Great idea! We can all make plans for a large celebration for all residents of Heaven," Annabelle suggested.

"We could even make a holiday out of it!" Charlie laughed.

"Nah, I don't think I'd want to be reminded of that bitch every year for all eternity," Annabelle retorted. "Now _that_ would be Hell."

"Ah, good point," Charlie nodded in agreement.

The other dogs were a bit unnerved by hearing Annabelle swear, for what could be the very first time. Also considering it wasn't customary to swear in Heaven.

"And she wouldn't have gotten fired if it weren't for us!" Itchy smiled.

"Yup, because we are awesome!" Charlie exclaimed.

Sasha nuzzled Charlie, clearly happy with their success in finally bringing down that monster. Charlie returned the nuzzle. They both lied together happily, knowing the world will be a better place for a while, up until Red finds a new adviser to fill the gap.

Just then, the archangel Sakura appeared before them in a flash of light. She was a large husky, who always bore a stoic look on her face. She was in charge of managing the allocation of souls to, from and between Heaven, Hell and Earth for all Canidae. She sat towering above the four dogs. Their looks of excitement faded as she looked down upon them with her typical look of indifference and harsh judgment.

"While you have your right to celebrate, I must remind you that we are still at war with Red and his henchmen. Let us not forget that we have a duty to protect the innocent and purge evil wherever and whenever possible. Belladonna is but one adviser. Red has many advisers, all around the world. We mustn't forget what is important."

The other dogs looked at each other with looks of worry and concern.

"Do not worry. We will always be ready to fight evil when it rears its ugly head," Itchy barked, standing in a fighting pose.

"Good. Now I bid you farewell." Sakura disappeared in a flash of light.

"Is she always such a buzzkill?" Charlie smirked, his head resting in his paw.

"She is only looking out for us. If it weren't for her, the world would be far worse off." Annabelle insisted. "We need someone like her to take charge and keep us in line."

"Meh, she still could at least loosen up a bit every now and then."

Annabelle, not wanting to continue down that road, proceeded to change the subject. "Well, do you all wanna start preparing for our celebration?"

"Sure thing!" Sasha smiled.

The rest of the dogs got together to plan their party. To finally celebrate after all these months of hard work was truly a blessing. A new era of peace had surely begun, both in Heaven and on Earth.

* * *

 _ **Please feel free to leave a review, and i**_ _ ** _ **f you really like my story so far,**_ don't forget to fav! Thank you!**_


	2. Back to Square One

She could feel the harsh, glassy shards of sand poking against her belly. The putrid smell of sewage and ammonia filled the air. This was all too familiar to her. This was what she experienced, the first time she was sent here.

Belladonna awoke from her sudden black out. Her mind was a haze. She looked around to see that she was finally back at the shores of Hell, where all new denizens arrive after being cast down from the Heavens. The sea was toxic and filled with caustic chemicals that could slowly burn your skin off. Most of them were produced from the factories that dumped waste and slag into the sea. She was lucky to not have been cast into it randomly, as some new arrivals are unfortunate enough to experience.

She tried to get up on all fours, but felt a strange sense of exhaustion. All her muscles twitched with pain. She fell down back into the beach of broken glass, wincing as the shards penetrated her skin. A tear dripped down her face from the sudden pain. She racked her brain to figure out what had just happened. After a few moments, it came back to her.

The pain.

The never ending pain.

Immediately her body froze as she remembered the scarring moment she had experienced, trapped inside that infernal room. She went back into shock. Fear and anxiety swept over her, her stomach freezing over. Her eyes stared off towards the endless sky, a look of true horror crossing her face. Then she remembered Red's cackling laugh as she was plunged into the lava. Her shock quickly turned into anger and resentment. That monster. Sure, it was to be expected from someone like Red, but she couldn't fathom Red doing this to her despite all her efforts and accomplishments.

She wasn't sure she could ever live this down. Not only was she rejected by Heaven and Earth, but also Hell itself. What power could she possibly gain now? She was left broken, with those scarring memories of being burned alive for what seemed like years. She couldn't even keep track of how much time she was in there. At this point, she didn't care. Just being in there for an instant, was enough to break her.

She realized her wings were missing, which meant she couldn't fly. She tried to cast a spell to turn her back into a wraith so that she could float away, but she soon realized that the dark powers she was gifted with had vanished. She was back to being a normal, useless lap dog.

She lied there for a long time, presumably days, just staring off into the distance and contemplating everything she had just experienced. Eventually however, she finally got the strength to stand up back on all fours. The shock had slowly resided, and she was ready to go out and figure out what to do next. The only problem was, she didn't know what to do.

Should she try to get back at Red? No, he's too powerful. Everybody in Hell wants to get back at Red. Nobody ever succeeded. She couldn't get back in power with Red, even if she wanted to. That goose was cooked. She could take her anger out on the other tortured souls, like she always used to do back during her first few moments in Hell. But for some reason, she didn't feel like it.

Despite her anger, she for some reason had no interest in torturing anybody. Maybe it was because she wanted nothing more to do with torture, considering what she had just went through. Perhaps she just wanted to be at peace. Maybe she should find somewhere to lay down and rest somewhere comfortable. But that was foolhardy, this was Hell. In Hell, nobody rests.

This feeling of not knowing what to do, only angered her further.

"Argh.. what is wrong with me?!" Belladonna yelled out loud. "Come on, man up! Don't go soft on me!"

The purple canine barred her teeth, trying to turn her anger into a desire to hurt, as she always used to do. Eventually, she snapped out of it and got back her strength. She was back in action.

Just then, she heard a noise from behind. Before she could turn around, she found herself being stabbed by a pitchfork in the back. She yelped and jumped forwards from the sudden attack. Luckilly it wasn't strong enough to puncture her skin. She turned around and growled at the cackling demon behind her.

"Hey, I am your commander! I command you to stop!" Belladonna demanded.

The demon merely cackled even more, holding hit's pitchfork towards her in a defensive stance. It was clear to her now. The demons were already made aware of her demotion. They no longer took orders like they used to. Belladonna lunged at the demon, dodging the pitchfork and biting it in the neck. She shook it like a rag doll, biting as hard as she could. The demon let out a growl of supposed pain as it then burst into a puff of black smoke. She killed it.

The death would have satisfied her, if it weren't for the fact that demons themselves weren't conscious. They were merely images, created by pure darkness. But then after the spiel, she realized what she had to do next. Maybe she couldn't truly get back at Red for causing her so much pain, but she could at least be a thorn in his side. Perhaps she could devote her eternity hunting demons. She would become stronger and stronger, until perhaps she could eventually overtake Red.

But then she remembered her lack of powers. Unfortunately, brute strength alone was not enough to face the most powerful of demons, who rely on dark magic to petrify and disintegrate any who cross them. Only Red could grant people powers, and there was no way he would give her any after all that has happened. Still, any satisfaction she could get out of it would be worth it. It was all she could do.

She wandered through the broken glass shoreline, careful not to cause any more cuts on her already shredded paws as she tread carefully. Eventually, she made it back to the badlands. This was where most demons tend to linger. Unfortunately because of the smoke, it was hard to see far in the distance. Since demons had no scent she couldn't rely on her nose, a major advantage for demons seeing as this was a Hell for dogs, but she could still hear them.

She could hear cries for help in the distance to her left. It sounded female. She could also hear about 2-3 demons cackling madly. Clearly someone was being tortured. She saw this as a perfect opportunity to test her skills. She crept slowly towards the sounds, hoping to land a pre-emptive attack. As she made her way through the dense smoke, she saw them. A young blue collie was being whipped by three demons surrounding her. Trails of blood could be seen coming from the poor canine. She bore a look of horror and helplessness.

After seeing this dog in so much pain, she was then reminded of what she had been through recently. The thoughts came back, and she froze into place. The memories of excruciating pain came back to her, and she was back in shock. After standing there for about a minute, the collie finally looked up to see Belladonna herself, just staring back at her with a look of worry.

The collie yelled out to her. "Please! Make it stop! Command them to stop!"

It was clear that the collie knew of Belladonna. Almost all residents of Hell knew of her. However, she was clearly unaware of her relief of duties. The demons turned around to see Belladonna standing behind them. Her chance of a pre-emptive strike was gone.

The demons growled and stormed towards her, their eyes glowing red with fury. Belladonna snapped out of her stupor, and noticed she was being attacked. A demon swung its whip towards the violet canine, but she quickly managed to dodge, jumping over the whip and landing next to it. Belladonna grabbed the whip with her teeth and tried to tug it out of the demon's hand. The demon pulled hard, and Belladonna wasn't sure if she would win this tug of war. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see another demon lunge at her from the side.

She let go of the whip, causing the demon to fall backwards on the third one that was trailing behind. As the lunging demon fell over after Belladonna's next dodge, it dropped the whip it was holding. Belladonna grabbed the whip and swung it as hard as she could. She made a loud crack on the demon's head, causing it's skull to shatter into pieces. The demon then turned into a black cloud of smoke, as they usually did. Unfortunately, the whip also disappeared along with the demon, leaving her defenseless. The other two demons got up and ran towards Belladonna.

She lunged at one of them, preparing to bite their neck like she did before. However, the demon manages to catch her in mid-lunge, and then tosses her into a stalactite. She gets up slowly, bruised badly from the impact. The demon lunges at her again, but before the demon can grab her, she kicks back at it with her hind legs. This causes the demon to flip over and land on the stalactite behind her. Impaled, the demon fizzles into a cloud of smoke. There was just one left.

As Belladonna struggled to finally get up, the third demon prepared to swing its whip. Belladonna was about to roll over to dodge the attack, but the pain from the bruising started to affect her. It once again brought back those painful memories. She once again froze. The demon started whipping Belladonna profusely. She winced from the pain, unable to speak or call for help in her current state. Her body was already soaking in blood from the lashes. She was hoping it would kill her already, so that she would just re-spawn back at the shores with all her wounds healed. The demon howled furiously as it built up it's strength to land a finishing blow.

But before the demon could swing it's whip, the blue collie grabbed it from behind, preventing the demon from swinging. Instead, the demon accidentally pulled the collie up onto the demon's shoulders. The demon, confused and angry, tried to grab the collie and throw her off, but she was persistent, and would always slip it's grasp. She bit hard into the demon's neck. The demon roared angrily as it disintegrated into a smokey cloud of dust.

The fight was over.

Both Belladonna and the collie lied down on the rocky ground a few feet away from each other. Belladonna lied on her back still against the stalactite, whilst the collie lied on her side. Both of them were bleeding like crazy. After a few minutes of catching their breath, the collie finally spoke.

"W-why...?" The collie whimpered.

"Why.. what?" Belladonna tilted her head.

"Why'd you save me?"

Belladonna chuckled a bit. "I didn't do this for you, ya know."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm doing it to get back at Red. Also because I have nothing better to do."

The collie paused for a moment, still confused by the whole ordeal. "Why would you want to get back at Red? Isn't he.."

"Nope, not anymore. The bastard dumped me out on the shores. My commanding privileges have been revoked. I'm surprised you hadn't heard the news."

"I don't think anybody has. It's not like we have our own newspaper."

"We are in Hell. Conveniences like newspapers are beyond us, even for relieving ourselves."

The collie smirked a little at the attempt at humor. "My name's Crystal by the way."

"Uhuh.. nice to meet you I guess."

"Yep.. hehe..."

The collie was struggling to contemplate the fact that the second most evil being in Hell was sitting right across from her, and that she had saved her life. This was indeed a very awkward situation. She struggled to come up with things to say. She wondered if she should even say anything at all. Perhaps she should try to slink away in case the creature changes her mind and tries to torture her, like she always used to do with the other denizens.

Before she could make any decision, the violet canine spoke. "Do you have a knife or something?"

"What..?" The collie tilted her head in shock.

"I think we should kill ourselves, so that we can re-spawn without having to wait for these wounds to heal."

"No.. sorry, no knife."

"Psh.." Belladonna looked to the side, clearly disappointed.

Another long awkward pause ensued.

The collie built up the courage to look at Belladonna right in the eyes as she finally spoke. "I-I know you really didn't do this for me but.. thank you."

Belladonna was about to protest, but something was stopping her. She looked down to the side, unsure of how to respond. This is the first time in years that she was ever thanked for anything. She began to feel conflicted, not knowing how to feel about it. The strange sensation annoyed her, and she crossed her arms.

"Tsk, yeah whatever," She replied.

The two dogs sat there for a while, waiting for their wounds to heal enough so that they could finally be on their way. Belladonna still had a lot of work to do if she really wanted to tick off Red. Thinking that she needed that collie's help for getting rid of that last demon was a stab in the gut. She wasn't strong enough. She needed to become stronger.

* * *

 _ **Please feel free to leave a review, and i**_ _ ** _ **f you really like my story so far,**_ don't forget to fav! Thank you!**_


	3. Brigade of Vengeance

"May I ask why you keep following me?" Belladonna looked back at the collie walking next to her as they walked through the badlands.

"Well.. I mean.. I think that maybe we could make a good team.." Crystal murmured.

Belladonna stopped in her tracks. She turned to the collie with a look of agitation. "I don't need a team. This is my battle and mine alone."

"But we both took out those demons together. Imagine what we could accomplish if.."

The collie was interrupted. The angry canine got up in her face. "We are not a team! Capisce?"

"Okay okay! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you upset," Crystal stammered. "It's just, I just wanted to help, that's all.."

Belladonna stared at her with a look of disbelief. She pondered a moment, and then finally gave in.

"Okay fine. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a meat shield just in case. How much do you want?"

The collie's ears drooped. "W-what do you mean?"

"How much? You want meat? Bones? Newspapers? What do you want from me?"

"I don't understand. I really just want to help out. You don't have to pay me anything."

"You're lying. You want something. Everybody wants _something_. Just stop playing around and tell me what you want!"

"You saved my life!"

"Yeah, so? You could have just re-spawned anyways, and even then demons would still attack you eventually. Besides, you saved my life too so we're already even."

She did have a point. Crystal frowned as she finally realized that she wasn't going to get through to her. She was once Red's right hand demon lord for a reason.

"Alright.. I guess.. I'll have a newspaper or something."

"Okay. I'll get you hundreds of newspapers, after I manage to defeat Red. Deal?"

The blue collie sighed. "Fine.. okay."

"What? Is that not enough? I'll get you thousands then."

"Argh.. look, I really don't want newspapers okay?"

"Then I can offer you bones instead?"

"What is the matter with you?!" The collie yelled, clearly frustrated by this insanity. "Have you ever heard of this thing called _generosity_?!"

Belladonna rolled her eyes. "Psh. You're in Hell. You wouldn't be here if you were a generous person."

"T-That's not true!" Crystal protested.

"Then why are you here? Why were you sent here in the first place?"

"I.. stole a few things."

Belladonna looked at her, clearly not convinced.

"Okay, a lot of things. But.. I've learned my lesson. I don't want to steal anymore. I know I may never leave this place, but the least I could do is help others as much as I can."

"Ha, pathetic. That kind of thinking only gets you taken advantage of. I know that all too well. No wonder you managed to get beat on by those demons. Did you try to give them a hug or something? Ha!"

"N-No! Look, this is getting out of hand. Do you want my help or not?"

Belladonna looked at her for a few moments. "Eh, fine."

A smile made its way onto Crystal's face.

"But don't expect me to save your ass if you get mauled by demons. You got me?" Belladonna warned.

"Fair enough."

The two walked off into the fog in search for new demons to hunt. They followed the sources of screams and cries for help. This was the beginning of Belladonna's conquest for revenge, and Crystal's hope for redemption.

* * *

The party was all going to plan. Millions of angels showed up to attend the party Annabelle had thrown for their success at defeating Belladonna once and for all. The party was so big that It had to take place at one large plane of clouds almost a mile long on both sides. There were floats, fireworks, even carnival rides, and a large dance hall where most dogs would hang out.

Despite her best interests, even Sakura agreed to join in. Both she and Annabelle stood at a large altar overlooking the party. Charlie and Sasha spent time together at the dance hall, enjoying their romantic evening together. Itchy helped manage the game room, making sure all the games were functioning properly. One sicko had the idea of having a 'dump-the-clown' game, only with the clown replaced as someone dressed as Belladonna, and the water replaced with fake lava. The game elicited some protest, but stayed as insisted by Annabelle.

As Sakura sat next to Annabelle watching over the party, she felt a strange sensation wash over her. She cringed a little, putting her paw on her forehead.

"What's the matter?" Annabelle asked.

"Y-You are not going to believe this," Sakura murmured, "The number of demons in Hell.. is rapidly decreasing, at a rate of 40 a day to be precise."

"W-What? That isn't normal."

"No, it isn't. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but.. it's strange."

They both looked down at the party goers, pondering what could be the cause.

"Well maybe without Belladonna in charge, it's becoming harder for them I suppose," Annabelle guessed.

"Maybe.."

* * *

2 months later..

"What do you mean they didn't show up?!" Red yelled at one of his minions, a small black chihuahua.

"I don't know my wretchedness, they must have gotten lost."

Red picked up the chihuahua and ringed his neck. "Demons don't get lost you moron! Someone is killing them and I need to know who!"

"M-May I suggest that we increase demon production sir?" Another minion suggested, as they adjusted their glasses.

"That.. is not such a bad idea." Red considered.

The chihuahua cringed. "But wait, in order to keep up with production demands, we would need to also increase the dark gem harvesting by 200 percent. We don't have nearly enough slaves to.."

Red interrupted. "Make it happen! Enslave more souls. In the mean time, I will send a little brigade of my own to search out this.. demon hunter."

* * *

Belladonna and Crystal had already made it through the barren wasteland, and prepared to enter the thorn thickets to the north. They had already cleared through many demons, and had opted to take things to the next level. The demons in the wastes were too easy for them. The ones in the thickets however were more dangerous, mainly due to their advantage of attacking from behind the thickets. The thickets were too thorny to walk through, and only fools would venture in without expecting to get lost or trapped in the thorns. The two demon hunters however, bore far too much confidence to worry.

As Crystal trailed behind Belladonna, they eventually found a large clearing. They walked towards the center, finding it to be a perfect stop to take a rest. There didn't seem to be any demons nearby, so they could finally rest at peace for a short moment.

After lying down for a few minutes, Crystal's ear began to twitch. "Huh.. I hear something.."

Belladonna got up, looking at Crystal with curiosity. "What, what is it?"

"I don't know, I think it's coming from inside the bushes."

Crystal pointed her paw towards the brambles. They both looked over for a moment, but then saw a dark floating figure emerge.

"Oh no. We need to leave, now!" Belladonna exclaimed.

"Why? We could take it down.." Crystal tilted her head.

"No! That's a wraith. They have very powerful magic. They could kill us in one snap of their fingers. Now follow me!"

Belladonna turned around, heading back the way they came, but then they saw another wraith right in front of them. They both yelled, and ran for another direction. Another wraith. They ran back towards the center, to see wraiths closing in from all sides.

"This is bad.. really, really bad," Belladonna shuddered.

The wraiths closed in on all sides. One of them grabbed Crystal.

"H-Help me! Somebody ple... hrk!"

The wraith had begun paralyzing the collie with it's dark magic. It stung all over her body. The pain was intense. She screamed in pain as the wraith held her down.

Another grabbed Belladonna, doing the same. They used a spell to keep them chained to the ground in roots. They both screamed in agony, wishing they hadn't fallen for such an obvious trap.

"I-I deserve this," Crystal murmured.

"What?!" Exclaimed Belladonna.

"I'm a thief, nothing but a rotten thief. Nobody ever liked me. I never had any friends. It's all because I was always so greedy and selfish. I deserve every waking moment of this," she cried.

"Just.. knock it off will ya?"

"What? How could you say that?!"

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter. You are just making things worse for yourself. Accept it. Your a theif, and always will be.

"No.. I.. I can't give up. I need to do what is right. I just wish there was a way.. I could fix all of this..."

As the wraiths ate away at their energy, their vision began to fade. The pain slowly turned into a tingling numbness. They couldn't even speak anymore. But just then, a bright light shined right in front of them. The wraiths backed away, agitated from the brightness. They immediately fled as soon as they saw who it was. Both dogs remained tied to the ground. Their life force was returning, and they could talk again.

"W-What is that?" Crystal exclaimed.

"No, I don't believe this," Belladonna murmured.

After the light was done shining, what stood in it's place, was Annabelle.

* * *

 _ **Please feel free to leave a review, and i**_ _ ** _ **f you really like my story so far,**_ don't forget to fav! Thank you!**_


	4. Awakening

Both Belladonna and Crystal had stared in awe as Annabelle stepped towards them both. She held her head high, making eye contact with the blue collie. Crystal swallowed, clearly intimidated by the angel's presence, especially considering she was the one that judged her as unworthy of Heaven.

"Me and archangel Sakura have heard your plea. You have shown remorse for your actions, as well as a willingness to change your ways. You helped saved many lives from suffering down here in Hell."

Crystal looked up at her. A sense of calm and reassurance replaced her anxiety.

Annabelle continued. "This is a rare gift we give, one we wish we could give far more often. We have decided to give you a new chance of life. We will bring you back to Earth, where you will be given a second chance to prove you can live a good life. Please, do not squander this. This may be the only chance you will ever get."

Crystal was over joyed by Annabelle's mercy. Tears began to well up in her eyes as a smile formed on her face.

"I, I don't know.. what to say.. this is a miracle," Crystal cried.

"We don't give miracles to the damned. _You_ made this happen. I will bring you back to Earth, where you will continue your life the same age as you were since you were sent here."

Crystal smiled in relief. She had never felt so at peace and relieved, knowing that she would be given another chance to turn her life around. But then she looked over at Belladonna, who looked back at her. A look of surprise and disbelief was planted on the demon dog's face.

"But.. what about.. her?" Crystal asked.

Annabelle didn't even bother turning around. In fact this whole time, she never met Belladonna's gaze.

"You won't need to worry about that 'thing'."

Annabelle's insult stabbed right into Belladonna's chest. She had never heard her sister say anything like this about her. Annabelle had always been argumentative with her, but never stooped this low. A look of shock made it's way onto her face. Crystal frowned, also put off by the comment.

"Thing? That 'thing' saved my life, and she saved the lives of others as well!" Crystal retorted.

Annabelle frowned back, "Yes, and I'm sure she did it all out of the goodness of her heart, didn't she?"

Crystal's ears drooped.

Annabelle smirked. "Yeah, that's what I thought. She used you Crystal. She only wanted you for her short-sighted revenge fantasies."

"I know but.. if it weren't for her I probably wouldn't have.."

"It doesn't matter. She's pure evil. You shouldn't trust a monster like that."

"Isn't she your.. cousin or something? How can you say that about her? Don't you love her?"

"She's not my cousin. She was never my cousin. I could never love someone like her, and frankly, I don't think anybody could."

Belladonna was experiencing so many conflicting emotions right now, she could not speak. Every word Annabelle said about her was a stab in the heart. This felt so surreal. She had never felt so rejected and vilified in her life. She always knew she had no relationship with her cousin, and was usually the one to sling the insults, but having them slung at her, was a whole different experience entirely. She didn't even think Annabelle had it in her.

Crystal herself also froze, not knowing what to say. Annabelle cast a spell, surrounding Crystal in a shroud of light.

"Wait a minute, can't I at least say goodbye to.."

Crystal was gone. She was back on Earth, off to start a new life. She finally got what she always wanted, a second chance.

Annabelle turned around and walked past her cousin, still paying her no mind. Belladonna could only look up to her, a look of confusion and sorrow crossing her face. A shroud of light surrounded Annabelle as she prepared herself to teleport back to Heaven.

But before she did, she closed her eyes and spoke. "Abandon all hope, ye who enter."

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

"I knew it! I knew it was her!" Red exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table. "That little, double-crossing.."

As Red continued his insults, the wraiths looked at each other and backed away from Red in fear. Red had never been so angry in a long time.

Suddenly, the black chihuahua burst through the door, jumping onto one of the seats. "Your cragginess, demon production has increased by 200%. We have over 400 new slaves."

"Excellent. Her attempts at thinning our numbers were for naught," Red smiled, "Now we just need to wait until more of our troops manage to capture her. This time, I won't be letting her out of that room, up until the lava cools and hardens. Then I suppose she would make a good statue."

Red laughed out loud, the other demons and advisers laughing along with him. Red was not going to let Belladonna get away with this.

* * *

An hour had already passed since Belladonna lied there on the ground, still pinned down by the roots. Her mind was racing, trying to contemplate what to do next, or how she should feel. Annabelle's insults played over and over again in her head. She was experiencing emotions she had never felt before. Before she knew it, tears began to drip down her face. She didn't understand why.

"W-what is happening to me?" Belladonna thought to herself. "What is this? Why do I feel so.. upset? N-No, this is a curse! She laid a curse on me! No, she's an angel. She can't curse. Why.. why?!"

Belladonna couldn't hold it back. She began to sob. Tears ran down her face onto the ground as she lied with her limbs held apart. She never felt so alone and rejected. All she wanted was to free herself of this sadness. She didn't care about revenge any more. It was pointless. Red was too strong. She had to give up.

Her sorrow was so great, she cried hysterically, making enough noise to attract demons from miles away. She didn't care though. Nothing mattered any more. They could torture her all they wanted. All she could think of was Annabelle, and how much she hurt her. She never thought she would ever feel bad for anything she had done. For the first time in her life, she felt remorse.

"I just want.. I want to be.. *sniff*.. with my cousin. I want her to.." Belladonna babbled, her eyes closed shut. "No.. she could never love me.. she said it *sniff* herself. It's too late.. far too late. Nobody could ever love me."

Belladonna lied their and brooded, not even bothering to try and escape. To make matters worse, the roots surrounding her were only tightening further, eventually starting to choke her. Belladonna gasped for breath as the roots became tighter. Her vision began to fade and her face went numb as the roots cut off her circulation. Then suddenly, all went black. She could have sworn she saw a group of demons, most likely sent by Red, try to grab her, but they were too late. She died.

* * *

Belladonna felt her stomach jump out of her throat. She then heard a splash, and felt like she was underwater, except the water seemed to cause irritation and a burning sensation. She swam back up to catch her breath, and found herself back at the shores of Hell. She immediately swam back to shore, sputtering and wincing from the burning. It wasn't nearly as bad as the lava, but still painful nonetheless.

She stood on the shores on all fours, shaking off the toxic water as much as she could. The chemicals made her dizzy, and she stumbled through the broken glass beach back to the badlands. She was grateful to have all her physical wounds healed, but a much deeper kind of wound afflicted her. She could not get over the fact that she needed to earn her cousin's approval. She was the only family she really had, and she had no other purpose to fulfill. Everything else seemed so empty to her.

She pointed her nose to the sky and yelled out. "Annabelle, can you hear me? Please, I just want to talk. Can we please talk, just one on one?"

She waited a minute for any signs of her showing up. Nothing.

She yelled for her again, still nothing. She prayed hard, trying to elicit an answer from her, but still nothing. At this point, she was sure that Annabelle didn't have any interest in pursuing things further. Her head drooped, and she slowly dragged herself through the badlands, wandering aimlessly. She no longer had a purpose. She had nothing to fight for. She was no longer angry at Red, or anybody else. She didn't want to admit this, but at this point, she was but a wandering spirit.

A wave of anxiety and fear had trapped her. She then realized the reality of the situation. She was doomed. She had nothing else to do, but wander aimlessly until she gets tortured again. That was her fate. Normally, most of the new denizens already become aware of this, but Belladonna, having been in Hell for decades, had just begun to realize her situation. She felt like such an idiot. How could she not realize just how screwed she was?

Belladonna was too worried to be angry at herself. She could only imagine wandering these wastes for years, and years, and years, until she finally goes insane, writhing on the ground in agony, wishing everything would just disappear. She wanted to disappear.

Eventually her walk turned into a run. She ran aimlessly through the wastes, trying to run from any sounds of demons coming her way. She panted in fear, wide eyed like a deer in headlights. Nowhere she ran to was safe. She had to keep running. She ran and ran until she was out of breath. She collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. Just then, she could hear demons coming her way. She knew what was about to happen next.

The demons came out from the smoke and began beating on her. They tore her limb from limb, poking, branding, tearing, scraping, crunching..

She could feel every nerve in her body sending her signals of pain. This was far too much for her. She shrieked in agony, begging for them to stop. She cried out for help. Suddenly, somebody did come. She couldn't make out what dog it was, but it seemed like it was friendly. The strange dog all of the sudden made a scowl when he saw who it was.

"Belladonna. Oh how the mighty have fallen," the dog smirked.

"P-Please, help.. I'm.. in so much... please.. kill me," Belladonna stammered.

"And why should I help you? You are nothing but a witch."

"N-No I'm not! I... I can change! I'm not... that bad... please, believe me!"

"Ha, in your dreams. Have fun with your new demon friends!"

With that, the dog left.

Belladonna had once again felt rejected. It wasn't as bad as being rejected by her sister, but it still stung. The demons continued to torture her, for what seemed like hours. Finally, she took her last breath and passed away.

She re-spawned back at the shores again, falling into the water a second time. She went out to the badlands again, wallowing in self pity. Wishing she could find a way out of this. But then she got attacked by demons, again. She got killed, again. She got sent back to the shores, again.

This same spiel happened again, and again, and again, until she couldn't take it any more.

Belladonna cried out as loud as she could. "Please! Please cousin! I can't take any more of this! I just want to talk with you! I know you hate me, and I know I've been a terrible cousin but.. please! I'll promise to be nice! I'm begging you!"

Belladonna collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry. I.. just don't.. *sniff* want to be.. alone anymore."

Moments passed. It came to the point when Belladonna couldn't cry anymore. Her tear ducts were drained, and her eyes were sore. She slowly got back up and stretched her legs, preparing for yet another mindless journey. But before she was about to start, a flash of light appeared in front of her. A shape of a dog could be seen. Belladonna's face lit up. This was a miracle. She was finally going to have a chance to make amends with her cousin.

She ran up to the figure, hugging it in her arms. "Oh Annabelle! I'm so sorry! I.. I shouldn't have treated you so badly all these years! I.. I... huh?"

She looked at who she was hugging. It wasn't Annabelle, it was Sakura.

* * *

 _ **Please feel free to leave a review, and i**_ _ ** _ **f you really like my story so far,**_ don't forget to fav! Thank you!**_


	5. Searching Higher

Sakura stared down at the disheveled looking whippet. Belladonna let go of the Husky and backed down, wiping the tears off her face and stared at her with a look of worry.

Sakura made a look of confusion. "Umm.. okay, that was.. weird. Anyways, I came here to let you know that Annabelle isn't receiving your pleas for help. She opted to have me receive them instead."

Belladonna make a look of disappointment. "She.. really is that upset at me.. isn't she?"

Sakura nodded her head.

Belladonna looked back up to her. "Is.. is there any way you could del.."

"No, she wants nothing to do with you. I won't take any messages."

"W-Why are you telling me this?"

"What do you mean?"

"I-I'm doomed here forever aren't I? What does it matter if you tell me this or not? Is it not insignificant?"

"Belladonna, it isn't about the sum of ones life that matters, it's the individual moments. You would be better off knowing you have no contact with your cousin. It will at least give you the resolve to move on. Forget about her."

Belladonna scowled. "How can I forget about the only family I have?"

"You did a pretty good job at that before."

"T-That was different! What do I have to do to.."

"You'd have to go see her in Heaven, but you can't do that for obvious reasons."

"Even if I decide to be a better person? What can I do to.."

She was cut off again. "You can never go there. You have done far too much evil to ever be forgiven. You are on a permanent blacklist."

Sakura materialized what appeared to be quite literally a black scroll of paper with names on it written in white. At the top was Red, with various other names below it, which all seemed to be the names of gang leaders, mass murderers and rapists, some of which she actually recognized, given she used to work with some of them on missions. At the very bottom of the list, she could see her own name. Her look of anger turned into a look of sheer horror. She was truly doomed.

"It took a lot for your cousin to put you on that list. She really did love you Belladonna. She made every excuse in the book to save you from this fate. In the end, she had to do her duty. You are forever Hell bound."

"N-No.. this.. can't be happening.. This can't happen! There has to be a way!"

"No, there is no way. You will never know the joys of Heaven and everlasting peace."

Belladonna shouted. "Why are you telling.."

"To save you from false hope. I don't necessarily want you to be here forever either, but the rules are the rules."

Belladonna was far too shaken from anxiety to think straight. Despite this, through the fog of her mind, she asked the most important question she could think of.

"I.. I can still visit Earth though... right?"

A look of surprise and confusion crossed Sakura's face. "Umm.. well.. technically yes but.."

"Can you please send me there instead?"

Sakura laughed at Belladonna's sudden interest. "And why should I do that? Do you really think you deserve something like that?"

Belladonna's ears drooped. She could already feel her guilt start to settle in. "No.. I don't think I deserve it. I've.. I've done a lot of terrible things, and I'm a terrible person. I was just hoping I could at least get a chance to do something good for once. If I was back on Earth, the least I could do is help make the world a better place then I had left it."

"Even if it means you will still be coming right back here after your inevitable death?"

"Yes, absolutely."

Sakura closed her eyes and thought for a moment with her back turned. Belladonna sat awkwardly, looking off to the side as Sakura pondered what to do next. She honestly hadn't anticipated this topic to be brought up, especially from someone as evil as Belladonna. Eventually, Sakura turned back towards the violet Whipper and spoke.

"Sending you to Earth would be a big liability. I could risk you hurting others and causing even more suffering."

Belladonna's voice shook as she spoke. "N-No! I pro-"

"I'm not finished! I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but Red seems to have a vendetta against you after you pulled your little stunt. I will give you a chance to go back to earth, but if you happen to fail at making up for all your bad deeds, I will send you straight to Red's lair, and there is no telling what he will do to you once he gets his claws on you."

Belladonna gulped, remembering once again the abhorrent torture she was given on that day. Sakura smirked triumphantly at Belladonna's reaction, clearly aware that she knew exactly what she was referring to.

"So, do we have a deal?" Sakura asked.

Belladonna's anxiety withered away as she sat on her hind legs. "Y-Yes. I won't let you down Sakura. I promise."

"I sure hope not." Sakura replied.

A bright light enveloped Belladonna's body and she began to float in the air. Within seconds, she was gone. Sakura put a paw to her forehead.

"Hoo boy, Annabelle is going to kill me."

* * *

The first thing she remembered was the cold. She had never felt the sensation of freezing, let alone a cool breeze, for months since her recent failures. Belladonna was now back on earth, lying in a puddle in a back alleyway. It was January, and San Francisco was having a lot of windy days, with occasional rainfall.

Even though she was soaking wet, the content whippet was enjoying the sensation. This was the biggest relief she had in a long time. She could almost fall asleep. But then, her stomach growled. It was inevitable that she would finally have to find some food, or else she would be back in Hell sooner than she expected. She couldn't remember the last time she ever ate anything.

Belladonna sat up and tried to remember how she was supposed to function on Earth. After getting her mind straight, she went out to search the trash cans for scraps, as she had always done her whole life. Doing this again almost made her feel like she had never died in the first place. She found a half-eaten sub that had just recently been thrown away. It was enough to curb her hunger for now. The sensation of eating felt almost alien, and it took a few moments for her to get used to it.

After walking through the alleyways, she noticed something strange in the corner of her eye. She turned around towards a puddle and found that her reflection bore a yellow colored Whipper. She had almost the same body type and facial appearance, but her fur was a deep yellow color. Her collar was also missing. This came a surprise to her, but what surprised her more was when she heard a voice start to speak to her.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Your physical appearance had to change a little. Since you are confirmed dead here on Earth, it only makes sense nobody thinks you are a zombie or anything. You can still identify with the name Belladonna though."

It clearly sounded like Sakura's voice. Belladonna nodded her head. "Okay, I-I understand."

"Good. Now you won't hear from me in a while. I've got a lot of important things to do. Be on your best behavior, or you _will_ be delivered back to Red after your demise."

"I gotcha. I'll be good. I promise."

"Good. Farewell, Belladonna."

The yellow whippet stood in the middle of the alleyway, trying to remember what she was up to before she got distracted. She then remembered. She had to find a place to stay. After rummaging through some abandoned buildings, she finally found a comfortable spot to call home. It was an abandoned studio full of empty crates and some torn up furniture. It was a bit dusty and filled with cobwebs, but beggars can't be choosers. Given her torture back in Hell, she could settle for anything not filled with spikes or fire everywhere.

She lied down on the couch, curling up in a ball as she began to snooze. But before she could fall asleep, she heard cries of protest from outside one of her boarded up windows. It was faint, and followed by laughing by a bunch of male dogs. She got up and looked out her window to see a red collie being surrounded by bulldogs circling her. She snuck outside her house and stood at the side wall of the alley, just right behind the bulldogs. She eavesdropped on the conversation to hear what was going on.

"I-I just wanted to look for a place to stay. That's all!" The young collie stammered.

"You just trespassed into our territory!" One of the angry bulldogs growled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know this was your territory. It seemed opened to the public. I didn't break into any houses or trash cans."

"That doesn't matter. You are on our turf! And once you step on our turf, you gotta pay the fine!"

"The.. fine?"

"Yup, the tooth fine. You have to give us one of yer teeth!"

The other dogs laughed sadistically. One of them got a pair of pliers, shoving it into the dog's face.

The collie clenched her teeth. "N-No! Please! I'm sorry! Please don't do this! I.."

"Please! Please night in shining armor save me!" One of the bulldogs joked.

Belladonna had heard enough. She bolted from behind the wall, now in plain sight of the bulldogs.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" Belladonna howled.

The other bulldogs turned towards her in surprise. "Well looky here! More fresh meat!" One of them grinned.

Belladonna looked down to see a bag of sand spilled over to her side. She swung at the pile of sand and launched a handful of it into the bulldog's face. The bulldog shrieked in agony as it was blinded by the sand.

"Run!" Belladonna motioned to the red collie.

The collie jumped over the blinded bulldog and ran along with Belladonna out of the alleyway.

"Don't just stand there, after them!" The blinded bulldog howled.

The other bulldogs ran in pursuit of the two females. They ran as fast as they could through the maze of alleyways. The bulldogs were faster than they anticipated. Belladonna found a small opening in the wall after turning into a new alleyway. She grabbed the collie and dragged her in with them. The bulldogs ran passed them still running off into the distance. They were safe.

"Y-You saved my life.." The collie panted, still tired from all the running.

"Yeah, just.. be careful next time okay?" Belladonna smirked.

"How can I ever repay you?"

"No need, just please keep out of trouble. The alleys are a dangerous place."

"Well, I have nowhere else to go."

"*sigh*, me neither. It's not always fun, but I'm used to it. Lived here all my life."

The collie paused for a moment. Something about the whippet seemed strange. She sounded almost familiar to her, as if she had known this whippet at one time. "H-Have we.. met before?" She asked.

"Not that I know of. My name is Belladonna."

The collie froze. This couldn't be a coincidence. This was Belladonna, the one that saved her life back in Hell. Her jaw dropped.

The collie pounced on Belladonna "Oh my god! It's you! How did you.. how did you escape?!"

Belladonna had a realization. This was Crystal. How this wasn't obvious before, she didn't know. Maybe she was too caught up in the moment to tell. But now, it was clear.

"Y-You.. Crystal? Crystal oh my gosh I missed you so much!"

Belladonna hugged Crystal in her arms, squeezing her tightly. Crystal was surprised by this, not expecting this kind of reaction out of Belladonna. Belladonna felt an incredible sense of relief, knowing her only friendly acquaintance was back in her presence. As Crystal patted her on the back, still weirded out by the gesture, Belladonna took this as a signal to let go. She was a bit saddened that the collie didn't want to hug her back, but complied nonetheless.

"I-It's a long story. Come on, I have a place where we can stay. I will tell you all about it on the way there."

As they walked back to Belladonna's pad, she told her all about what happened and what she needed to do here on Earth to earn her stay. This all really depressed Crystal, but she was still glad Belladonna didn't have to suffer so much, for now.

* * *

 _ **Please feel free to leave a review, and i**_ _ ** _ **f you really like my story so far,**_ don't forget to fav! Thank you!**_


	6. Hopeless

After Belladonna and Crystal made it back to their new home, Belladonna lied down on the sofa from exhaustion. Crystal hopped on the couch just a few feet away from her and puffed up a pillow.

"Nice place you got here," Said Crystal.

"Thanks.." Belladonna murmured. "I mean, it's still better than Hell I suppose."

Crystal frowned a little. He looked over at the yellow whippet. She couldn't quite tell, but it seemed like she was shaking a little.

"Are.. you okay?" Crystal asked curiously.

Belladonna went silent for a moment, but then spoke. "I'm scared Crystal. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm doomed either way you look at it."

"Don't say that! I'm sure there is a way. There has to be!"

"I already told you, I'm blacklisted. There is nothing you can do."

Crystal huffed. "I don't care. We are friends, and I'm going to do everything I can to help you."

Belladonna froze. A look of surprise and confusion made its way onto her face. "F-Friends?"

"Yes, friends. And friends look out for one another. You saved my life, twice, and you helped me find a place to live."

"But even still, I used you. I treated you like crap, but despite all of that.. you.. You can't be my friend. I'm a terrible person. I don't even deserve any friends."

Crystal smiled, placing her paw on your shoulder. "You are not a terrible person. You may have done a lot of bad things in the past, but whether you realize it or not, you've shown a great deal of remorse and a willingness to change. We all deserve a second chance Bella. I've seen the good in you, and I feel you are worthy of my friendship."

Belladonna couldn't help but shed a tear from Crystals seemingly endless kindness. She was resisting the urge to flat out burst into tears, but managed to keep it bottled up.

"I-I don't even know what to say." Belladonna's voice shook.

"You don't have to say anything." Crystal reassured.

Crystal then proceeded to wrap her arms around the whipped in an embrace. Belladonna, shocked by the sudden gesture, began to shed even more tears. She couldn't take this anymore. She hugged Crystal tightly, crying into her shoulder. Crystal brushed her head with her other paw as she sobbed, trying to comfort her as much as she could. Belladonna couldn't tell if she was happy, relieved, upset, or all of the above.

"I-I *sniffle* don't deserve this.. how can you care about someone like me? How can you show me so much kindness? I don't deserve any of this."

"You said you were going to make the world a better place than you left it right?"

"Y-Yeah.."

"Well, consider this an upfront reciprocation," Crystal winked.

Belladonna giggled a little from this. She seemed to cheer up a little thanks to Crystal's company. Having a friend for the first time in her entire life was something she thought she could never have. All these emotions however were starting to drain her. She became drowsy, and slowly let go of her embrace with the ruby collie. Belladonna lied down on her end of the couch, curling up into a ball.

"Thank you.." Belladonna whispered.

"Don't mention it." Crystal smiled.

Belladonna's eyes slowly shut as she began what would be her first sleep in a long time. The feeling of peaceful slumber was something she couldn't even remember. For a moment, everything she worried about, started to drift away as she finally got her first moment of peace in decades. Her eyes shut, she began to fall asleep.

* * *

"You did what?!" Annabelle screamed.

Sakura sat with her head high. "I saw it as necessary. She really seemed interested in.."

"Nononononono, No! She can't be back on Earth! She'll cause nothing but chaos and destruction! How can you be so stupid?!"

"Hey, look! I promised that she'd be tormented even worse if she didn't make up for her past. Either way, she's still going back to Hell, so you don't have to worry about her."

Annabelle's face contorted from Sakura's negligence. This was beneath her on so many levels. She had to get her to understand the big mistake she had just made.

"What about her powers?" Annabelle retorted. "She could set the whole city ablaze if she wanted to."

"She no longer has any demonic powers. Red had stripped them away from her."

"..Okay. Is she causing any trouble right now?"

"You would know if you hadn't shut out all communication with her," Sakura smirked smugly.

"Answer the question!"

"No. In fact, she seems to be helping another fugitive. I believe her name is Crystal."

Annabelle made a look of shock. This was the collie that she just recently rescued from Hell. But then her look of shock turned into a look of triumph. "Ha, I knew it! She's using her again, just like last time!"

"Actually, she has done nothing but help the collie. She saved her from being tortured by a bunch of angry bulldogs, and provided her with a place to stay."

Annabelle's eye twitched a little. "Oh yeah? Well she's only doing that to get that collie to do her bidding. It's all part of her plan! She's going to get her to do something horrible! My cousin has always been manipulative!"

"Then we'll just have to wait and see then, won't we?"

Annabelle barred her teeth in frustration. "Oh sure, we can let out _all_ the bad people in Hell into Earth and 'wait and see'. I'm sure that would turn out nicely. My cousin is pure evil. She is guaranteed to do something horrible. You have made a terrible mistake Sakura. You have a lot to think about."

Annabelle then walked away, leaving Sakura to ponder what she had just done. But Sakura had little to ponder. She just had to wait and see. Maybe Belladonna isn't as 'evil' as Annabelle thinks. Even if she is forever Hell bound, perhaps her good actions can be put to good use, and she can still be made an example of.

* * *

After having stocked up on food for the week, Belladonna and Crystal both wandered the streets in search of those in need. It was a busy Monday, and a lot of dogs often went out hunting and dumpster diving on this day. This was a good opportunity to find dogs in need of food.

Crystal looked over in an alleyway to find a few dogs looking for scraps. She ushered Belladonna over and got her to give some of her food supply to them. They did these kinds of fetch quests for almost the entire day. They both felt very good afterwards. Belladonna was overwhelmed by all of the thanks and praises she received. She actually didn't feel so rotten anymore. Unfortunately, this was only a small drop in the puddle of good she had to cook up before it was too late.

All of the sudden, Crystal came across a box full of puppies for adoption. The puppies inside were barking playfully, waiting for somebody to adopt them.

"Aww, look Bella, aren't they cute?" Crystal pointed to the box of puppies.

Belladonna froze in place. A frown was slapped onto her face as she eyed the box. For a moment, she began to feel angry, almost livid. She bolted and ran for the nearest alleyway, leaving Crystal behind.

"Hey wait! Where are you going? Slow down!" Crystal stammered as she chased after Belladonna.

Crystal had to jump over crates and dodge other dogs in her path as she tried to keep up with the yellow whippet. Her slim body and agile nature made it difficult to keep up.

"Leave me alone!" Belladonna yelled back.

Crystal didn't listen. She had to find out what was wrong with her friend. Eventually, Belladonna managed to lose her, and Crystal was left wandering the alleyways. Crystal called out for her, trying to find out where she went. This went on for a while, until she finally decided that the best course of action would be to wait back at the pad for her to return.

On her way back though, she found Belladonna slashing a mattress with her claws in a corner alley. Crystal called out to her, running towards her at top speed. Belladonna didn't turn around. She just sat there, looking down at the shredded mattress.

"..Are you okay?" Crystal asked.

She was met with silence.

"Please, talk to me Bella. I'm your friend. You can tell me anything."

A few more moments of silence later, and Belladonna finally spoke. "When I was a puppy, I was also held up for adoption, along with my cousin Annabelle."

Crystal stood silently, her ears perked up.

Belladonna continued. "We waited there for weeks. If we didn't get an owner soon, we would be sent to the pound once we grew to old to have any appeal. Eventually, Annabelle got adopted by some rich yuppie. I felt sad seeing her go, as she was the only family I had. Sadly, I was never adopted. I didn't want to be sent to the pound, so I escaped."

Belladonna let out a sigh, the anger returning to her face. "And so I was left all alone to fend for myself, while my cousin was spoiled rotten by that fat, snobby rich lady. I never had anyone to care for me, or love me.. the idea of love almost sounded alien to me. That's when I realized, that the world itself never cared about me. Nobody cared about me. They only wanted to take advantage of me."

Crystal made a look of surprise, then frowned. All the pieces were coming together. Perhaps this was the reason Belladonna had become evil in the first place.

"Anyone who ever wanted to help me, only did so if I did something in return. Some people did seem to genuinely care about me, but I could see through their facade. They always wanted something from me. Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe some people did want to care for me, but I was too blind and hopeless to see it."

Belladonna shed a tear, clenching her teeth in disgust at her past. Crystal walked over, wiping the tear from her cheek with the side of her paw. The kind gesture helped relieve her tension, but she continued.

"I always hated my cousin for that. She got everything, and I was left with nothing but scraps and hopeless dreams. The worst thing of all is that I never got to know where she lived. If I did, I would have done something really stupid. At least I can rest easy knowing I never killed my own cousin." Belladonna dipped her head.

"You would never do something like that." Crystal consoled.

"You don't know what I was like." Belladonna frowned. "I just wish I had still loved my cousin as much as I do now. I was too weak. I should have looked for her, and I should have forgiven her."

Belladonna began to sob, letting streams of tears drip from her face. Crystal hugged the sobbing whippet, trying to comfort her as much as she could. Although it was dangerous to be out at dusk in an alleyway, Crystal still felt a part of her telling her that this was more important. What they didn't realize, was that someone else was watching them from above the clouds. The pink whippet couldn't believe what she was hearing.


	7. The Miracle Dog Tag

Belladonna and Crystal went back to their pad to rest up for the night. They both curled up next to each other on the couch. Crystal watched Belladonna snuggle the cushions to get as comfortable as she could. Crystal couldn't help but see an incredible amount of innocence in the yellow whippet. She couldn't accept the fact that she had been dealt such an unfair and unjust punishment. She knew she deserved better, even if Belladonna were to deny it.

What saddened her the most however was how helpless she felt. She felt as though nothing she could do could help her new friend. After laying down in thought, she finally had an idea. She wasn't certain this would work, but she had to try. Crystal got up off the couch after Belladonna appeared to fall asleep. She walked over to the balcony on the second floor of the building. She looked up at the night sky, which thankfully wasn't cloudy this time. She could see the moon and the stars, lighting up the city around her.

She looked up and closed her eyes, beginning to speak. "Annabelle, I don't know if you can hear this, but.. this is very important. I know you have done a lot for me, and it would be incredibly selfish for me to ask any more of you, but.. your cousin needs you. She just wants a chance to speak with you and try to make amends. I know you probably won't believe a word she says, but at least try to spend some time with her. Try to see the good in her. I know there is goodness in her heart, even if it's hard to see it. Please.. give her a chance."

Crystal waited there for what felt like hours. Sadly, there was no response. She dipped her head and sighed, going back into the house to lie down and rest. She needed a lot of sleep if they were going to do more acts of kindness tomorrow.

Today was sunny, and the streets were bustling with lots of city folk as usual. Belladonna and Crystal were looking around for ways to help others. Just then, a desperate looking poodle ran up to them both. She looked worried and helpless.

"P-Please! Help me find my child!" The poodle pleaded.

Belladonna and Crystal looked at the poodle in shock. "Tell us, where and when was the last place you saw it?" Asked Crystal.

"Down that alleyway. I was just walking out of it with my child, and when I looked back, he was gone! I searched everywhere! Please help me!"

This was their opportunity to really help someone in need. Belladonna's face lit up, but then she got serious, remembering that she was doing this not just for herself, but for this poor poodle mother in need.

"We'll be on the look out for her, don't you worry! Just wait right here!" Belladonna reassured, placing her paw on the poodle's shoulder.

Both Belladonna and Crystal ran into the alleyway. They looked everywhere they could, but could find no discernible clues. Just then, whilst Crystal was walking around a few crates and a garbage bin, the wind began to stop. Everything around her appeared to freeze, as though time had been stopped. She looked around herself confused, wondering what had just happened.

"Belladonna? Hello?" She called out for her friend. "Hey, where are you?"

She looked around to find that the yellow whippet had disappeared. She felt a tap on her shoulder from behind, and jumped from being startled. She turned around and saw Annabelle peering down from her, a stern look on her face. Crystal was trying to speak, but her sudden appearance had left her speechless.

"Do not worry. I have stopped time so that we can communicate without any interference," The pink whipped reassured. "I received your message last night."

"Y-You did?" Crystal stammered, showing a look of shock and awe.

"Yes. But I'm afraid I cannot help your.. 'friend' Belladonna, for she is beyond help."

"B-But you have to.."

"No, I don't," Annabelle interrupted, frowning a little. "I don't think you understand just how many 'chances' I had given that.. thing. Sure, she may 'act' remorseful and innocent, but deep down, she is nothing but pure evil. She deserves eternal torment."

"How do you know? After all the good she had done recently, how can you say that she's pure evil?"

"She's only doing that to avoid Red's punishment. This was all a mistake made by one of the other archangels. Belladonna shouldn't even be here!"

"But what if you are wrong? What if she really has changed?"

"Guess what, it doesn't matter if she changes or not. She had her chance in life to be a good person, and even in Hell she was given a chance. I've run out of chances to give. Even if she really has changed, which I strongly doubt, she would still make a good example for those who do not wish to burn in Hell. She can be proud of that at least."

"That.. that's so cruel.. How can you be so cruel?! I thought you were good! How can you.."

"No, how can _you_?! I gave you a second chance, and this is how you treat me?"

"Don't change the subject! This isn't about me, this is about Belladonna! I've seen the good in her, even if you refuse to..." Crystal paused for a second. "Oh. I get it now." Crystal made a smug look.

"What.. what are you on about?"

"You regret putting her on that black list.. don't you?"

"W-What are you talking about? I would never wish any goodwill for that disgusting, waste of.."

"You cannot accept that she is a better person now, because that would make _you_ the bad guy for putting her on that list."

Annabelle's eye began to twitch. She made what appeared to be a manic grin. She began to laugh loudly, almost crazily. It was unnerving to say the least, seeing this pink, angelic whippet turn into a crazed hate-filled lunatic. Crystal backed away a bit, cringing from the strange sight.

Annabelle stopped laughing, took a deep breath, and looked down at Crystal with a patronizing smile. "Okay, look. You want to see if there is any good in her? Give her this."

Crystal saw a bright light appear in front of her. In it's place was a bright golden dog tag. The dog tag flew into Crystal's paws. She grasped it, looking down at it's intricate patterns and bright luster.

"W-What is it?" Crystal asked.

"It's a miracle dog tag. It will perform one miracle for the holder, but only if they are pure of heart." Annabelle spoke softly. "You can have her use it during her 'missions' here on earth. I can guarantee you that no matter how much she tries to be a good person and repent for her misdeeds, it will never work for her as long as she lives."

Crystal looked back up at Annabelle with a frown on her face. "Alright. Then I guess this will settle it then. If the dog tag works, she's clean of her sins. But even if she doesn't get it to work, she would still be a good enough person for.."

"No. Just being a little bit good doesn't get you into heaven," Annabelle corrected. "She has to be good _enough_ to get the dog tag to work. But that will never happen."

"We'll see!"

"My work here is done. I sincerely hope that you be good enough for heaven. Your previous bad deeds in your last life still carry on to this one, so you'd better make up for it before it's too late." Annabelle warned.

"Don't worry about me. I'm already on it."

"Very well. Good day to you."

And with that, Annabelle disappeared. Time appeared to go back to normal, and the sudden gust of wind startled the collie. Just then, she remembered to start looking for Belladonna. She looked to find her scouring a trash bin. She peered out to see the collie standing right in front of her.

"Oh hey, you find anything?" Belladonna asked.

"More or less.." Crystal spoke.

She showed Belladonna the miracle dog tag. Belladonna's jaw dropped. "Where in the world did you get that?"

"I'll explain everything." Crystal reassured.

After a lengthy explanation, Belladonna was both overjoyed and a bit depressed. She was happy that her cousin finally acknowledged her existence, but not quite pleased by her lack of forgiveness and unwillingness to talk to her. She found a dog collar in one of the trash bins, and used it to equip the miracle dog tag. She wasn't sure if it would ever work, but just having something from her only cousin would give her the resolve to keep fighting.

They continued to look around, until Belladonna finally spotted some footprints. They appeared to lead to a hole in a brick wall hidden behind a plastic bag.

"Hey Crystal, look at this!" Belladonna called out.

"Hmm? Oh my!" Crystal tilted her head at the sight as she smiled. "Nice going Bella!"

"Heh, don't mention it."

They both crawled through the hole in search for the missing poodle. They found themselves walking through what seemed like the area in between the floor and ceiling of two of the rooms of the building. They walked through cobwebs, trying to pick up the scent of the footprints, albeit loosing track of it thanks to the dust and mold. Eventually after a few minutes of wandering around in the dark, they could both hear the floor crack beneath them. Within seconds, the floor split into pieces under their weight, and they both fell down into what looked like a rocky tunnel.

They both slid down through the tunnels, yelling from the frightening ride. Eventually they reached the end of the tunnel slide and found themselves at the edge of some sort of sewage system.

"Ugh, that smell." Crystal's nose scrunched up.

"Yeah, obviously a sewage system. Maybe the poodle is down here somewhere." Said Belladonna.

As they walked further down the sewage system, they began to hear some laughing coming from far ahead. They walked closer towards the laughing to see some light coming from above a sewage grate on the ceiling. Belladonna was the first to climb up a metal ladder mounted on the wall to open the grate just enough to see inside the room.

"Well, what do you see?" Crystal asked.

"Shh. Be quiet. I can't hear. "Belladonna whispered.

"Sorry." Crystal sheepishly grinned.

The room appeared to have some strange coagulation of junk and metal for the walls. It looked like an underground bunker of sorts. She could see about 20 bulldogs sitting around in a circle, some of them lying on cushions or sitting on stools. They looked like the same bulldogs that attacked Crystal before. They all laughed and conversed with one another. But what really caught Belladonna's eye, were the black metal cages at the end of the room behind the bulldogs. She couldn't see inside of them as it was too dark. The only light was coming from a lantern held by one of the bulldogs. She listened carefully as they spoke.

"We are totally gonna make a mint this time boss!" One of the underlings cheered.

"Yeah yeah, for sure. It's just a matter of time until the trader gets here." The boss replied.

"What's taking them so long?" One of them pouted.

"Patience my friend. They'll get here soon enough." The boss reassured. He then walked over to the metal cages, and held his lantern up to them. "And all these little pups will make us a fortune! Hehehe!"

Belladonna gasped, as she saw many puppies trapped in the cages. Seeing as there were about 40 of them, with about 2 or 3 of them shoved in a cage, she couldn't imagine how these bulldogs could kidnap so many of them. It was obvious that this was a puppy trafficking ring. This time it seemed like she had her work cut out for her. There were too many of them, and there was no way she and Crystal alone could look out for and manage all those puppies and have them properly rescued.

Belladonna proceeded to close the grate and walk down the ladder to tell Crystal all about the situation, but her paw slipped and the grate shut closed with a loud 'clang'.

"Oh shit." Belladonna whispered.

"What was that?!" Called one of the bulldogs from behind the grate.

"Shit! Run!" Belladonna called out to Crystal.

Belladonna scrambled down the ladder and they both ran for it.

* * *

 _ ** _ **Please feel free to leave a review, and i**_ _ ** _ **f you really like my story so far,**_ don't forget to fav! Thank you!**_**_


	8. The Last Rescue

Belladonna and Crystal ran through the sewers as the group of angry bulldogs chased them down. It was dark within the sewers, so they had a lot of trouble navigating. Crystal accidentally ran into a crate and tumbled over. Belladonna ran over to her and helped her up, even though this would allow the bulldogs to catch up to them. Before the leader could take a bite out of Crystal's tail, she was pulled forward by Belladonna yanking her by the back of her neck.

They both ran constantly, almost beginning to tire out. Just then, Belladonna realized something. They were running in circles. They were in the same spot they were just a few minutes ago. This gave Belladonna an idea.

"Hey.. *pant* Crystal.." Belladonna gasped for air.

"Y-yeah..?" Crystal heaved.

"When we get to the next *pant* intersection, I'll go right and you go left."

"Are you *pant* sure?"

"Just trust me!"

As soon as the two dogs split up, the bulldogs chose to go after Crystal since she was closest to them. Belladonna managed to escape the bulldogs, and headed through the sewers to find just what she was looking for. She once again found the entrance to the bulldog gang's lair. She climbed up the ladder, slipping a few times until she got back to the hatch. She opened it up and looked around the dark room. She let out a bark in the hope that it will alert somebody who is in there. The only response they got were whimpers and cries for help from the back left area of the room.

Belladonna ran towards the sound, and as soon as she got up to the cages, she whispered. "Shh, it's okay, everything will be alright."

The puppies began to calm down, and she tried to pick at the locks with her nail. As a crook, she always knew how to pick locks and break into just about everything. For once she was using her abilities for good. She managed to unlock all the gates, and before she knew it she was swarming with puppies, jumping at her and cuddling and kissing her legs. Belladonna was very touched by this, but she didn't have time to dawdle.

"Okay everyone, follow me! I'll get us out of here!" Belladonna commanded.

Some of the puppies saluted and they all began to follow her from behind. Belladonna went back to the grate and looked into the sewers. Her heart sank as she saw a smaller faction of bulldogs coming right towards them.

"Shit!" Belladonna closed the grate shut slowly. "Does anyone know of another way out?"

Many of the puppies looked towards each other in confusion. It appeared that this was the only exit they knew of. But just then, a small puppy came up to Belladonna with a look of surprise.

"Hey! Hey! Geoffrey just ran into that hole in the wall!" The puppy yelled, tugging at Belladonna's collar.

"Geoffrey?" Belladonna tilted her head. "Show me! Where is this hole?"

The puppy lead Belladonna over to a triangular shaped hole in the wall. Belladonna motioned for all the puppies to follow her in. The puppies obliged.

Crystal kept running from the bulldogs as she traveled aimlessly through the sewers. As time flew by, she kept getting slower and slower. The bulldogs never seemed to let up, and it was only a matter of time before they eventually caught up with her. All of the sudden, there appeared to be a big metal wall in the distance. She had reached a dead end.

Crystal stopped running and began to skid towards the wall, just stopping two inches away from it. She looked back to see the bulldogs inching closer to her. Their teeth were barred and they all grinned mercilessly.

"Well well well, it seems like you will be paying us that tooth fine after all," The bulldog leader smirked.

"Y-You? No, this can't be happening!" Crystal stammered.

"Oh but it is dear. Don't worry, I'll make sure to take em' out nice and slow."

All the other bulldogs began to laugh as the leader inched even closer to her.

"S-Stay away from me! Please.. don't!" Crystal begged.

Just then, she looked around the room to find anything she could attack them with. Unfortunately, she couldn't find anything. Not even a rock or a piece of trash. There were a few crates next to her, but they were clearly too heavy to work with. Just then she saw a chain hanging from the ceiling with a large metal ring suspended at the bottom. It hung just a few feet from her. She couldn't use that as a weapon either, as it was chained to the ceiling, but.. wait... she thought for a moment. Why would there be a chain attached to the ceiling? Then she realized what the chain was for.

"Any last words hon?" The bulldog leader teased.

"Well, I'm not really all that good with water puns but.." Crystal gave a small smirk, "I guess now you should all consider yourselves 'dam'ned!"

Crystal jumped up and grabbed the chain with her maw. As soon as she did, the large metal wall behind her opened up and water began rushing out. Crystal held on tight as she was pummeled by the water rushing out. She however did not let go and resisted being swept away. All the bulldogs were carried away by the rushing water. They sputtered and howled as they got sent down through the drains. After a few moments, the water began to subside, and Crystal let go of the chain to continue her venture.

She wiped her forehead with her paw and shook off the water from her fur. She had to find Belladonna to make sure that she was okay.

Belladonna and the puppies ventured on through the small tunnels looking for Jeofrey as well as any potential exits to the outside. After a few minutes of crawling through mazes of tunnels, eventually they came across an intersection. Belladonna looked to the left and was elated to see some light eminating from the edges of what appeared to be a manhole cover. She found an exit.

All the puppies cheered as Belladonna opened the manhole cover to let the puppies out. They all gathered onto the streets surrounding Belladonna, many of them hugging her and thanking her for saving them. Luckily they were in a secluded area without any other dogs around, so they were safe here for now.

"Okay okay, I'm just glad you all are safe." Belladonna smiled.

"B-But.." One of the puppies whimpered.

"Yes?"

"W-What about Geoffrey?"

Belladonna gasped. She had nearly forgotten. "Oh my, you're right! Stay here! I'll go find him at once!"

The puppies waited patiently as Belladonna left back in the manhole to search for Geoffrey. As Belladonna walked back to the intersection, she heard a noise coming from the other path she hadn't taken yet. It couldn't be the bulldogs though, since they were behind her, so it had to be Geoffrey. Her ears perked up.

"Geoffrey, is that you?" Belladonna called out.

"Geoffrey, who's Geoffrey?" A feminine voice called out.

The figure came out from the tunnel. It was Crystal.

"Oh Crystal! I'm so glad you are safe!" Belladonna cheered as she hugged Crystal.

"T-Thank.. you...! You're... squishing me!" Crystal cringed.

"Oh, sorry, heh!"

Belladonna let go of Crystal and began to explain the situation.

"That's great! So they are on the other side of that manhole?" Crystal questioned.

"Yup. Now those bulldogs could show up any moment. I will need you to go up there and protect those puppies! Try to help them find their parents if you can!" Belladonna commanded.

"Aye aye, captain!" Crystal saluted.

Crystal then waltzed off and went through the manhole. Belladonna knew this would be a shot in the dark, but she had to find Geoffrey. She couldn't leave any puppies behind.

Belladonna wandered aimlessly through the tunnels once again, listening for any signs of life other than sewage rats and footsteps from humans from above. As she got deeper into the sewers however, the noises began to fade out. She didn't want to admit this but.. she was lost. She wasn't sure if she would even make it out alive. However, she had to keep looking. She had nothing to lose. She was damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't.

She then remembered the miracle dog tag around her collar. This whole time, she hadn't thought to even use it. Perhaps now would be a good time. Maybe the collar would give her directions. She held the dog tag in her paws and prayed deeply, trying everything she could to try to get it to work.

Nothing happened.

She sighed, remembering that the dog tag would never work on her, and ventured off aimlessly through the sewers once again.

After about an hour of searching, she then heard a faint crying. Could this be? Perhaps this was Geoffrey. Belladonna followed the path of the crying, running through twisting tunnels and long pathways. Eventually, she got to a small hole in the concrete wall. She could see some light coming out from it. The crying was much more clear this time, and she could have sworn that it must be coming from the other room through the hole.

This was strange though. Why would there be lights in the sewer? It was always dark. Something was out of place. Belladonna couldn't wait. She needed to save this poor creature. Even if it didn't turn out to be Geoffrey, it would at least count as a life saved. She jumped through the hole and found herself falling quite a few feet downwards. She hit the ground with a thud.

The thud echoed through the large cylindrical hallway that seemed to stretch for miles in two directions. They crying suddenly stopped, and she got up slowly to take a look around her. Right behind her, she saw a small male poodle pup staring right back at her, with tears pouring down its face.

"G-Geoffrey?" Belladonna asked the poodle.

"Y-Yeah? H-How did you know my na-" Before the poodle could finish his sentence, he was swept up by Belladonna in a strong embrace.

"Oh Geoffrey, I finally found you!"

"W-What? W-Who are you?"

"Your mother is worried sick! She sent me out to rescue you. I'm going to take you home right away!"

"Y-Y-*sniff*-You came to rescue me?"

"That's right. You won't have anything to worry abou.."

Just then, Belladonna looked around her again. She began to hear a noise as her ears twitched. It sounded like a low rumbling noise. It was progressively getting louder. She looked around to figure out where the noise was coming from, but couldn't find anything. She then looked down at her feet, and saw two metal rails right next to them. Her heart sank into her chest. She was in a subway tunnel. She looked up towards one of the tunnels and saw a very dim light in the distance. It got progressively brighter along with the noise. It was a subway, and it was headed straight for them.

"Geoffrey, we need to go, now!" Belladonna yelled.

"B-But where will we.." The poodle was interrupted again.

"Anywhere, just not here!"

Belladonna grabbed Geoffrey by the back of his neck with her maw and she ran in the opposite direction of the subway. This effort proved itself futile, as no matter how fast she ran, the noise just kept getting louder. The tunnel stayed the same, and there were no signs of exits anywhere. She peered down the never-ending tunnel to find nothing withing a few miles. She was trapped for good.

The noise was getting significantly louder this time, and Belladonna looked back to see the once dim light now bright as a traffic light. She could hear the horn of the subway beeping. This caused Belladonna to trip and fall, dropping Geoffrey next to her. Belladonna didn't want to admit this, but there was no way out. She and Geoffrey were pinned down, and had nowhere to go.

"I..I'm scared!" Geoffrey cried.

"It's okay, just.. keep close. Everything will be all right." Belladonna comforted the small poodle.

Belladonna then remembered the miracle dog tag again. She knew it would be futile, but she had to try. It was her only shot at escaping this situation.

She sat up on her hind legs, Geoffrey still hugging her side, and grasped the miracle dog tag in her paws.

"Please.. please don't let us die. Please.. let us escape! Let us live!" Belladonna pleaded.

Nothing happened. Tears began to roll down Belladonna's cheeks as she begged for the miracle dog tag to work.

"Please! If you wont work for me, at least work for Geoffrey. I know I don't deserve to live, but he does. Just please.. save him! I know I'm not pure of heart. I have my flaws, and I know I have a long way to go before I make up for everything but.. please... just this once.."

Again, nothing happened. Belladonna stared with a look of shock on her face as she could have sworn she saw the face of Red at the head of the subway, looking at her and grinning, letting out a low cackle. Belladonna's heart dropped into her stomach. She froze from the sudden visage of evil staring back at her. She then closed her eyes, holding the miracle dog tag close to her bosom. She prayed as hard as she could, all the way to the end. The noise of the subway, and Red's cackling, was louder than ever, and increasing in volume at such a rapid rate, that she could have sworn the subway was just a few feet in front of her.

From the shock, she dropped the miracle dog tag. It fell on the floor with a *clink*. Afterwards, everything went silent.

* * *

 _ **Please feel free to leave a review, and i**_ _ ** _ **f you really like my story so far,**_ don't forget to fav! Thank you!**_


	9. Loyalty

Darkness, and silence. These were the only two things Belladonna could register in her mind. No matter where she looked, she couldn't see a thing. She could have sworn she remembered being in a similar situation many years ago. She called out for help, but her voice only echoed into the black abyss. Her mind was racing. She could not figure out what had just happened. She didn't know where she was, and what had happened to Geoffrey. After a few moments, a bright light finally appeared right in front of her. In its place, stood Sakura. She looked down at Belladonna with the same, serious look she always gave her.

"T-Thank god you came.. I was so worried!" Belladonna gasped in relief.

"This same thing has happened to you before you know. Remember when you died last?" Sakura questioned.

Belladonna then thought for a few seconds, and then she remembered. The first time she had died, she was sent here, to this strange black void, before being judged.

"Oh.. I remember now.. hmm, I guess... this means I'm.. dead.. right?" Belladonna's voice shivered.

"I'm afraid so. It's a shame. Only a few days on earth, and you had to die again so soon." Sakura shook her head.

Belladonna then remembered that Geoffrey was also with her at the time of her death. Her ears perked up and she made a look of worry.

"W-What about Geoffrey? Is he okay? Is he still alive?"

"Well, as a matter of fact he is."

"Oh, thank heavens," Belladonna let out a sigh of relief. "So.. the miracle dog tag worked after all?"

"Well, yes and no. You weren't able to get it to work, but Geoffrey did. You dropped it right in front of you, and as soon as you did, Geoffrey put his paw on it, and it granted him his survival. He was carried back towards the exit to the subway, and was encountered by Crystal, who then took him back to his parents."

Belladonna dipped her head in shame. The miracle dog tag wouldn't even give her a chance. She was elated that Geoffrey was still okay, but still saddened at her failure to atone for everything.

"I suppose, this means I'm going back to Hell then?"

"I'm afraid so. And since you couldn't make up for everything, you will have to be sent back to Red's lair."

Belladonna didn't know what to say. She had failed. By risking her life she only made things worse for herself. She did save many lives, but it wasn't enough. But even so, had she not risked her life to save Geoffrey, that in and of itself would have been a point against her. She was doomed from the start.

"Well, alright then. I accept my punishment."

Sakura looked at Belladonna with a bit of confusion. She wasn't expecting Belladonna not to resist, despite not being rewarded for her efforts and good deeds on earth.

"Really? You sure you don't have any regrets from your mission?"

"Nope, not one. I may have failed, but I at least left the world a little less worse off then I had left it before. I'm just happy those puppies are safe."

"Yes, that was a very valiant effort, and it would have given you a straight path to heaven, had you not irreparably ruined your chances in your previous life."

"I just have one more question."

"Yes?"

"Do you.. think I'm a good person?" Belladonna asked, looking up at her with a penitent expression.

Sakura paused for a moment.. This was already starting to become unbearable. She had seen Belladonna risk her life for her friends, and prove to them time and time again that she has changed. She couldn't bring herself to do something so unfair and unjust. She may not have made up for her past, but she was still capable of so much good, and at least deserved some sort of compensation for her good deeds. She dipped her head in shame.

"Yes, you are a good person Belladonna, but it is too late. I'm sorry. There is nothing more that can be done. I would send you back to earth again, but that would only anger.. your cousin.."

"I see.. I understand. T-Thank you for at least giving me a chance to prove myself.. even if it didn't last as long as I had hoped."

"You are welcome. Now, it is time."

Sakura then cast a fiery spell that circled around Belladonna. Her fur turned back to it's former purple color and her bat wings began to sprout. She then felt the ground cave in, and she was sent falling into the deep, smokey pit that lead to the castle that belonged to Red. She looked down at the fiery landscape, hearing the screams of tortured souls and endless pain. She made a look of sorrow, with her eyes half shut, as she struggled to come to terms with the fact that this was all that she would know for all eternity.

* * *

"Well, I hope you are happy." Sakura murmured as she looked to the side.

"Yes, quite so. I guess this means you have redeemed yourself, Sakura." Annabelle smiled.

"Why though.."

"Why what?"

"Why.. why did you have to create that... that stupid blacklist?"

"Why else? To prevent any, oh, I don't know.. misguided angels from sending unredeemable evil doers to heaven of course!"

"I see.. and what makes you think your cousin is beyond redemption?"

"No, we are not going to talk about that again! She's evil! Plain and simple!"

"After she risked her life to save all those starving dogs.. and all those puppies... can't you at least admit that she has changed? Even a little?"

"I'd sooner have my wings clipped then admit that she's had even a tinge of remorse from what she has done."

"Even if she's your family?"

"Er.. She's not my family."

"She's your cousin."

"She's.. she's... just shut up! I don't care about her anymore! She's dead to me!"

"Well you aren't dead to her. She really cares about you Annabelle. I could see it in her. She loves you from the bottom of her heart."

Annabelle looked off into the distance, with a look of worry and confusion on her face.

Sakura then walked up beside the confused whippet. "Remember back when you used to live together? You used to love her Annabelle. You always looked out for her and she did the same for you. Even though you both struggled to survive before being taken up for adoption, it was your love and compassion that kept you both going."

"S-She's not a puppy anymore.."

"And she isn't that evil wicked she-demon anymore. All she wanted to do was apologize to you Annabelle. That was all she wanted. You couldn't even give her that."

"Well what do you want me to do?! She's already on the blacklist. She cannot be saved. Fine, I admit it. I screwed up! I doomed my own cousin!" Annabelle shouted.

Sakura backed away as Annabelle began to lose it.

"T-This was all my fault. I should have had faith in her. I should have held on to my love for her, because now she's in trouble, and I can no longer help her. I wasn't loyal enough. I wasn't any better than she was!" Annabelle began to tear up. Tears began to run down her cheeks. "I don't deserve to be up here in the clouds, while my cousin suffers all because of me! I'm a monster!"

Sakura watched Annabelle as she cried hysterically. She wanted to go over and console the distraught whippet, but she didn't want to bother her. She had never seen Annabelle cry like this. This was very unlike her. Even though she was often very emotional, she almost never cried. Annabelle was the happiest and most cheerful dog she knew, up until now.

Just then, after a few minutes of ceaseless crying, Annabelle wiped her tears and sat on her hind legs, with a look of indifference and seriousness.

"Sakura.. bring me the blacklist." Annabelle ordered.

"S-Sure thing.. mind if I ask why.." Sakura was cut off.

"Just do it!" Annabelle shouted.

A black list materialized out of thin air in front of Sakura, she handed it over to Annabelle. Annabelle then took a quill pen, and began to write on it.

"Um.. Annabelle.. what are you doing?" Sakura asked, worriedly.

"What I should have done ages ago."

Just then, a fiery red light appeared underneath Annabelle. A ring of flames engulfed the pink whippet, and her wings suddenly vanished and were replaced by bat wings. When Sakura saw this, she looked over at the blacklist to see that Annabelle had signed her name on it. Sakura looked back at Annabelle with a look of horror.

"What?! What have you done?! Annabelle! You just doomed yourself! You can never come back! Why?! Are you messed in the head?!" Sakura yelled.

"If she can't come back here, then neither should I."

And with that, Annabelle was gone.

* * *

"Hahahaha-heheheh! Well! What do we have here? It looks like you came back after all! How did you enjoy your little trip? Did you miss me?" Red asked in a patronizing tone.

Belladonna just sat there in silence, not uttering a word.

"Aww, are you still butthurt that you didn't get into heaven after your little suicide mission? That's too bad. It's much more fun down here you know! Well.. for me that is."

Belladonna still sat there. She just eyed Red with an unimpressed look on her face.

"Oh come on! You could at least admit that life was so much better, when you were on my side. I guess you are a bit bummed out that you got captured. It was only a matter of time before I captured you again."

"Are you going to torture me or not?" Belladonna murmured.

Red was caught off guard, but then regained his composure. "Well well, straight to the point. I like that. Guards!"

A bunch of demons came out from behind the walls and proceeded to try and drag Belladonna to the meeting room. Funny enough, Belladonna ended up being the one dragging them, as she walked casually over through the hallway. She could still see dogs chained to the walls, being burned incessantly by the flames below. For once, the sight did make her stomach turn. If she could, she would try to rescue them, but it was a fools errand at this point, since the wraiths behind her could kill her at any moment.

Just as Belladonna made her way into the room, the outline in the wall behind her to the left began to glow again. The door opened up, and as soon as it did, all the memories of the horrendous torture she received had rushed back to her. She was frozen in place. Her calm and indifferent demeanor had broken down. She was already shaking.

"Haha.. not so high and mighty now, aren't we?" Red smirked.

"Not so fast!" A strange feminine voice from behind red bellowed.

Red turned around to see Annabelle standing right behind him, with two wraiths trapped behind her with chains wrapped around them. She spread out her wings, leering at Red. Red made a look of surprise and disbelief.

"W-What? Annabelle? H-How did you get here? A-Am I seeing things?" Red stammered.

Belladonna was also in shock. What was her cousin doing here? All of this, and the fact that she was about to be boiled in lava again, was too much for her to take in. She couldn't speak.

"Nope. Now you are going to free my cousin, or else!" Annabelle demanded.

Red stared at the pink whippet for a moment, and then burst into laughter. "Bwahahahahahehe! Just who do you think I am? No matter. I like a good challenge. You want her? She's right here."

"N-No Annabelle.. don't do it!" Belladonna's voice shivered as she forced herself to speak. "I-It's a trap!"

Annabelle didn't listen. Annabelle flew over Red and landed on all fours next to Belladonna. As soon as she did, a magical spell surrounded them both. Their wings disappeared, and the floor opened beneath them both. They both fell down a long, cobbled tunnel and landed in a spiked cage suspended miles above a huge lava lake. From the view, you could see the rest of Hell stretched miles away. Faint screams could be heard in the distance, and despite being so far up, they could feel the heat radiating from the lava below. After a few moments, they both began to regain their composure.

Belladonna shook her head, and looked over at Annabelle with a look of confusion. "A-Annabelle? How did you.. how did you get here? W-Why did you try to..."

"I'm sorry." Annabelle dipped her head in shame.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't stay faithful to you throughout all these years. I never believed that you could ever change. I was wrong."

"Annabelle.."

Annabelle began to tear up again, turning her head away from Belladonna's gaze. "I've seen the good in you time and time again, but could never bring myself to admit that I was wrong. I should have believed in you. I should have had at least some hope that you would change. I'm sorry I doubted you cousin!"

Annabelle cried on Belladonna's shoulder. Belladonna held Annabelle with her right paw, still shocked from Annabelle's apology. If anything, she is the one that is supposed to be apologizing.

"Annabelle... I... I don't know what to say..." Belladonna began to tear up as well, and her voice began to crack. "I... I forgive you. I just hope that you can forgive me. I've treated you horribly, and rejected every attempt at redemption you tried to give me in the past. I know you always loved and cared for me, and I wish I had been a better cousin."

Belladonna cried into her cousin's neck, holding her closely and wrapping both paws around her. "I'm sorry, Annabelle. I'm sorry I rejected you. That was the worst decision I had ever made in my life. You were the only family I had. I love you so much, and I am blessed that we at least had a chance to apologize to one another."

"Me too. I want this moment to last forever, even if it means we'll have to spend eternity in Hell. I love you cousin with all my heart, and I will never lose faith in you again."

They hugged each other for what seemed like hours. It was a relief for both cousins to finally be reunited, after all these years of bitter resentment towards one another. Belladonna was finally at peace, and for the first time in her life, she could feel all her guilt and self-loathing begin to wither away.

However, after they finally let go of one another, the cage began to shake. The chains suspending the cage began to shift. The cranking of gears could be heard from up above.

"W-What was that?" Belladonna questioned.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Annabelle murmured.

All of a sudden, the two whippets could feel the cage start to fall slowly. They felt their stomachs sink as the feeling of gravity gave way. The cage was being lowered quickly, and they could already see themselves approaching the lava. They then heard a loud cackle from up above. It was Red, waving down at them both.

"Haha! How poetic! Two cousins from opposite worlds, back together at last, and about to meet a tragic fate. Oh someone should make a movie of this!" Red hollered.

"Help! Somebody help!" Belladonna called out.

"Umm Belladonna? I'm.. kinda new to this whole torture thing? Err.. being dunked in lava isn't as bad as one would imagine.. is it?" Annabelle stammered.

Belladonna gave her a look. Annabelle then cringed, realizing just how insipid of a question that was.

Just as they were being lowered down, Sakura looked at them from afar with a look of horror. She couldn't imagine Annabelle would throw her life away like this. She did this all for her cousin. It was a sacrifice that even she couldn't see herself making. Sakura didn't want to believe this. This was too terrible of a fate for either of them to endure. There had to be a way to fix all of this. There just had to.

Just then, Sakura looked over at the blacklist, still hovering next to her where Annabelle left it last. She couldn't destroy it, or else it would allow her and the others the ability to free just about anybody from Hell. But at the same time, she couldn't bear seeing her friend get tortured like this. She remembered how conflicted she felt when Belladonna wasn't given a second chance, after everything she had done to make up for her past transgressions.

As the cage began to near the lava lake, both Annabelle and Belladonna cried out for help, desperately pulling at the metal bars. Sakura could only sit and watch in horror as they eventually met their fate. Suddenly, the cage then made contact with the lava. Both dogs jumped onto the metal bars, attempting to get as high up as they could to avoid the lava. They screamed for help as the lava rose higher and higher. All of the sudden, Belladonna's tail had caught fire from the intense head, and she screamed in pain. She gripped the bars as tightly as she could.

Sakura couldn't take any more of this. She made her decision. She grabbed the blacklist with both paws, and began to tear at it from the top. It took all her energy and strength to tear at the blacklist all the way to the bottom, and as soon as she did, the blacklist began to combust into a flurry of ashes and sparks. Sakura fell back, landing on the clouds as she watched the blacklist fizzle out of existence. The black list was destroyed.

As the lava began to brush against Annabelle's fur, she could feel the heat searing her flesh. The pain was so intense that she began to lose her grip. Her hind leg fell into the red hot magma, and she screamed in pain. The scream unnerved Belladonna, and she held on tighter, closing her eyes from the scarring moment. Sakura then appeared in front of them in a flash of light, and immediately started working on her spell to transfer the two dogs back to heaven. Before she could finish, Belladonna's back was being submerged in the magma, and she howled in pain.

"Please! Help us! Hurry!" Annabelle cried. "It hurts! Please!"

"No! Stop! What are you doing? No, you can't do that! That's not fair!" Pouted Red.

After a few seconds, Sakura finally got the spell charged, and with a flash of light, all three of them were transported out of the cage and safely into heaven.

* * *

Belladonna had begun to feel weightless. This was a strange feeling, one she had never felt before. All around her, she felt a cool, calm wind blowing lightly through her fur. She slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurry at first. As her eyes began to focus, she saw what appeared to be an endless sky, with large pillars surrounded in vines. She felt so at peace, that she didn't want to get up. But she had to find out what had happened, so she slowly got up onto all four paws.

She looked around and saw many familiar faces looking back at her. Charlie, Itchy, Sasha, even Carface was there. She turned around and saw Annabelle sitting on a cushion.

"She's awake!" Itchy cried out.

Everyone started to huddle around Belladonna as they cheered with excitement. Belladonna gave a confused look. She didn't understand why they would be so happy to see her. Annabelle she had already made amends with, but the others?

"Belladonna. I've wanted to say this for a long time now. Welcome to heaven, my cousin." Annabelle cheered, with a tear rolling down her cheek.

Annabelle then gave Belladonna a hug, and Belladonna returned the favor.

"I-I don't understand. How did I get here?"

"The black list was destroyed." A feminine voice called out.

All the dogs turned their heads towards Sakura.

"From what I've seen the past few weeks, I have come to the conclusion that every dog should deserve a chance to right their wrongs." Sakura nodded.

"I've learned that too." Annabelle said, as she looked over at her cousin.

"I-I am so honored. You guys have no idea just how grateful I am.." Belladonna whimpered. "I-I'm sorry for all the problems I caused in the past, and I hope you can all forgive me someday."

"We already have Belladonna," Said Charlie. "You did good."

"Yeah. We are all glad you decided to change your ways," Sasha added.

"Thank you all. I promise you I will never misbehave like that ever again." Belladonna insisted.

"Oh yes, and I believe I forgot the finishing touch." Annabelle smirked.

Belladonna tilted her head in confusion. Annabelle placed her paw on Belladonna's back and a bright light appeared from behind her shoulders. Two large angelic wings appeared from behind her. Belladonna gasped in excitement at her new wings. She flew around the vicinity, elated and euphoric. She cheered, and then caught her cousin in a hug.

"Thank you so much! This is the greatest moment in my entire life." Belladonna cried.

"Well it's just getting started!" Charlie insisted.

"Yeah, this calls for a party!" Itchy bounced up and down.

All the dogs cheered together as they all rejoiced with Belladonna and her cousin. After all that Belladonna had gone through, she had truly earned the trust and respect of those around her. She had never felt so loved and respected in such a long time. For the first time in her life, she was truly at peace.

The end.

* * *

 ** _Thank you all so much for reading my story. It really means a lot and I really hope you enjoyed it. I hope you all have a good school year and/or enjoy the upcoming holidays ^w^. Have a good day! Don't forget to leave a review!  
_**


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